Air cooler and circulator



Dec.' 18, 1934. A. B. MODINE AIR COOLER AND CIRCULATOR Filed June 25, '1932 I grave/12 227 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,985,052 AIR COOLER AND CIRCULATOR Arthur B. Modine, Racine, Wis., assignor to Modine Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 25, 1932, Serial No. 619,221 9 Claims. (01. 62-133) The invention relates to a device for cooling let thereof located at one end adjacent the upand circulating air and has as one of its prinper portion thereof and the air inlet located cipal objects the production of a device of this adjacent the lower end, this last mentioned end character which may be readily arranged at any having means whereby air to be cooled is introdesired location in a room of a dwelling, oflice duced to the device.

or hotel and which is neat and unobjectionable The invention has these and other objects, in appearance. all of which will be explained in detail and more It is an object of the invention to provide a readily understood when read in conjunction construction which may be readily varied as with the accompanying drawing which illusto size and cooling capacity so as to compensate tratesone embodiment of which the invention 10 for rooms of various dimensions or the degree of is susceptible, it being manifest that changes temperature desired. and modifications may be resorted to Without Another object of the invention is to provide departing from the spirit of the appended claims a device capable of accomplishing the above forming a part hereof.

l5 mentioned advantages, having an'air advancing In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a central longitumeans combined therewith to thereby advance dinal section of a device constructed to ac-. air through the device to cause said air to be complish the invention, the device being comcooled and be discharged from the device in prised of separable receptacles for the cooling a cooled condition. medium to thereby increase or decrease the In addition to the above, it is an object of number thereof and vary the co lin p y 0f 20 the invention to provide a receptacle for a'coolthe device; 3 ing medium, the receptacle having an air pas- 2 is a top plan View Part y in g sage which engages the cooling medium, the Fig. 3 is a section taken'on line 33 of Flgreceptacle having a closure, the closure having d an air passage which communicates with the air gag. itis atsectnfin takindon litrl le 4:;4 of Fig. 1. 25 passage of said receptacle, the closure having 6 8 0 urei US Ta 6 e r wine C air advancing means located therein and means templates the utilization of a casing 10 which is for actuating the air advancing means carried designs}? to g piil o i a (v pvsition by the closure. upon e en 11, ailing-air a vancing means It tis an object of the invention to provide a e r y deg g gi i812 locateg at thedopp fl cons ruction such as that just referred to in Or upp e 8 Cen a Vencmg which the member providing the closure may he m a s s e p oye d o ed in an air P e ienioved go? the nliember aOIOViding the recepgle iaa zli dl ld ri a e f $1 8 p d i j df ac e so a a coo ing me um may be introon e w 10 .1 pr era 3' arrange 0 duced and be discharged therefrom when this e) cfooled g aeld atlateral gf g th 5 becomes necessary or desirable. As e ore s a i i an 0 ic 0 e m- In addition to th ab t an bject t vention to provide a device capable of "readily. provide means for receiving condensate ochaviilg the P C thereof va and curring upon the outside of the receptacle, this 5 the mvemlon g e last mentioned means being arranged relatively f 3 P 23 ai i F 40 to certain air passages in the device so that 9;? 1"; 1 3 12 n s g g condensate'occurring in this last mentioned pasy i to the gf so that air may g sage may also find its way to said means.' A f culate through both of said receptacles and be urther ob ect of the invention is to pro- 1 discharged from the outlet 14. 1 Each of these vide certain air passages employed in the dereceptacles 15 and 16 is open at one end as 3 2 3 i g F indicated at 17 and 18 respectively so that the 2 passiges 9 oward he closed end 19 of one of the receptacles such cooling medium prior to l s d scharge from the as 16 may be arranged relatively tov the Open end of the other to form a closure for the- It is another ob ect ot the invention to prolatter the open end 13v bf the receptacle 16 vide a device of the kind above referred to being closed by the closure 20 closure which may be conveniently arranged at a 20 is provided with the passage 13 and said sired location in a room and which provides an closure supports an air advancing means gen...

air cooling and circulating unit having the outerally designated 12 and a motor 21. for actu- 55 ating the air advancing means. Manifestly, should it be desired to reduce the capacity of the device, this may be accomplished by sepaating the receptacles from each other and applying the closure 20' to the end 17 of the receptacle 15, it being understood that should it be desired to increase the capacity of the device, the receptacle 16 will be applied to the end 1'1 of the receptacle as illustrated in the drawing with the closure 20 arranged in the man ner shown.

Each of the receptacles 15 and 16 is provided with an air passage designated respectively 22 and 23 which is arranged within the respective receptacles. These passages are open at their opposite ends to form a communication with said receptacles 15 and 16 and atmosphere. In the structure illustrated, the members forming the air passages 22 and 23 are of a relatively flat elongated cross section and extend irom the bottom or each receptacle to near the top thereof. The members 22 and 23 providing the air passages are spaced from the walls of said receptacles and thus provide spaces 24 and 25 re spectively which surround the air passages 22 and 23. These spaces 24 and'25 provide chambers in which cracked ice designated 26 maybe arranged to provide the cooling medium.

. Eachof the elements forming the air passages 22 and 23 are provided with baffles 27, the'baifies being arranged to direct the air drawn through the passages respectively designated 22 and 23 toward the cooling medium to thereby compel this air to engage the cooling medium prior to its being discharged from the device through the discharge opening 14. Each of the receptacles 15 and 16 is provided with handles 28 to facilitate separation and association of said receptacles during the filling or discharge there- I The end 11 of the receptacle 15 is maintained in spaced relation to the floor in which the de= vice is located and to this end, a pan or receptacle 29 is employed to assist in forming a base for the device. This pan is provided with means for maintaining said end 11 in said spaced relation to said pan, this being accomplished through the agency of supports 30 which act as spacers which maintain the end 11 of the receptacle 15 in spaced relation to the annular wall of the receptacle or pan 29 and also main= tain this "end in spaced relation to the wall 31 of the receptacle or pan 29. Thispan is provided to produce a catch for condensate occurring upon the outside of the receptacles 15 and 16 and also that condensateoccurring within the air passage such as 22. It is evident that as condensate accumulates within the receptacle 29, it varies the space between the intake end of the passage 22 and the accumulated water and will thus vary the amount of air drawn into the passage 22 through the space provided between the annular wall 29 and the casing 15 and between the end wall of the casing 15 and the wall 31 of the receptacle 29.

The passage 13 formed in the closure 20 is provided with a chamber 32 in which the impeller 33 of the air advancing means generally designated 12 is located. This chamber has an opening 34 which communicates with the inte-" rior of the receptacles 15 and 16 and therefore as the impeller is actuated by the motor 21, air will be drawn through the space 35 provided between the annular wall 29 and the wall of the receptacle 15 and thence into the passage such as 22,

from which it is discharged into the receptacle 15. Upon travel of the air through the passage 22, said air will contact with the walls of said passage and become cooled by virtue of the fact that the passage is in contact with the cooling medium located in the chamber 15. This cooled air is caused to be directed by the baffles 2'1 toward the cooling medium prior to its introduction to the passage 23 ,of the receptacle 16. During the travel of the air through the passage 23, this air is again cooled by the cooling medium located in the receptacle 16, the cooled air being again caused to contact with the cooling medium in the chamber 16 by baflles similar to those designated 27 prior to its being withdrawn from the receptacle 16 by the impeller 33 of the air advancing means. The impeller causes the air to be circulated from the device and be discharged in a lateral direction through the opening 14 in the closure 20 and causes the air in the room to be circulated and drawn into the device to be again cooled.

From the foregoing description of the structure, it is manifestthat a simple and efiective construction is produced which will cause air to be circulated and cooled and discharged from the device in a lateral direction. It is further manifest that the elements entering into the construction of the device readily cooperate with ach other to provide means whereby the cooling capacity may be increased or decreased depending upon the size of the room to be cooled or the degree of temperature desired to be maintained in the room and that the structure is of a portable character, neat in appearance and therefore will not be objectionable for use in high-class omces, homes and hotel rooms.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

i. In a device of the kind described, a base comprising a pan having bottom and vertical side walls, supporting members therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium, said receptacle being of lesser horizontal dimension than said pan and adapted to cooperate with saidsupporting members to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation above and inwardly with respect to the walls of said base, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member within said receptacle and contacting the cooling medium therein, said tubular member having one end connected to said opening and terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, a closure at the top of said receptacle having a passage therethrough, and means for maintaining a current of air through the several members of said device successively.

2. In a device of the kind described, a base comprising a pan having supporting members therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supporting members to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation above and inwardly with respect to the walls of said base, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member within said receptacle and contacting the cooling medium therein, said tubular member having one end connected to said opening and terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, means at the outlet of said tubular member for directing the air passing therethrough into direct contact with the cooling medi in said receptacle, a closure at the vice successively.

3. In a device of the kind described, a base comprising a pan having supporting members therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supporting members to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation inwardly with respect to the walls of said base, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member in contact with a substantial portion of the cooling medium in the receptacle and having one end connected to said opening and terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, means at the outlet of said tubular member for producing turbulence in the fluid passing therethrough, a closure at the top of said receptacle having a. passage therethrough and means for maintaining a current of air through the several members of said device successively.

4. In a device of the kind described, a base comprising a-pan having supporting members therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supporting members to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation to the walls of said pan, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member within said receptacle having one end connected 'to said opening and terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, a plurality of baflies at the outlet of said tubular member for producing turbulence in the air passing therethrough and for directing said air into direct contact with the cooling medium in said receptacle, a closure at the top of said receptacle having a passage therethrough, and means for maintaining a current of air through the several members of said device successively.

5. In a device of the kind described, a base comprising a pan having supporting members therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium'and having a single side wall adapted to cooperate with said supporting members to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation inwardly with respect to the walls of said pan, said receptacle having an opening inits bottom, a tubular member within said receptacle and in contact throughout the greater portion of its length with the cooling medium contained in said receptacle, said tubular member having one end connected to said openingand terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, a second receptacle similar .to said first mentioned receptacle and having a similar tubular member positioned therein removably mounted upon the upper end of said first mentioned receptacle adapted to operate as a continuation thereof, a closure at the top of said second receptacle having a passage therethrough, and means for maintaining a, current of air through the several members of said device successively.

6. In a device of the kind described, a base comprising a pan having supporting members therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supporting members to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation to the walls of said pan, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member within said receptacle in direct contact with the cooling medium contained therein and having'one end connected to said opening and terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, a second receptacle similar to said first mentioned receptacle and having a similar tubular member positioned therein removably mounted upon the upper end of said first mentioned receptacle and adapted to operate as a continuation thereof, a plurality of battles extending in different directions at the outlet of the tubular member in each receptacle for producing turbulence in the fluid passing therethrough and for directing said fluid into direct contact withvthe cooling medium in the respective receptacles, a closure at the top of said second receptacle having a passage therethrough and means for maintaining a current of air through the several members of said dey vice successively. V

7. In a device of the kind described a base comprising a pan having supports therein a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supports to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation to the walls of said pan, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member within said receptacle and engageable throughout its entire length with the cooling medium contained in the receptacle, said member having one end connected to said opening and terminating at its opposite end near the top of said receptacle, a closure at the top of said receptacle having a I passage therethrough, and means within said closure for maintaining a current of air through the several members of said device successively.

8. Ina device of the kind described, a base comprising a pan having upports therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supports to maintainsa'id receptacle in spaced relation to the walls of said pan, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular air conduit in said receptacle in direct contact with the cooling medium contained therein and having its receiving end connected to said opening and terminating at its discharge end near the top of said receptacle, a plurality of baffles above the discharge end of said conduit and extending in opposite directions with respect thereto for producing turbulence in the air passing through the conduit and for deflecting the air in opposite directions into direct contact with the cooling medium in the receptacle, a closure at the top of said receptacle having a passage therethrough, and means within said closure for maintaining a current of air through the several members oi the device.

9. In a device of the kind described, a base 'comprising a pan having supports therein, a receptacle for containing a cooling medium and adapted to cooperate with said supports to maintain said receptacle in spaced relation to the Walls of said pan, said receptacle having an opening in its bottom, a tubular member within. said receptacle in direct contact with the cooling medium therein and having its receiving end connected to said opening and terminating at its discharge end near the top of said receptacle, a second receptacle similar to said first mentioned receptacle and having a similar tubular member positioned therein removably mounted upon the upper end of said first mentioned receptacle and adapted to operate as a continuation thereof, a plurality of baflies mounted respectively on opposite walls of said tubular member in each receptacle and extending in opposite directions above and in spaced relation to the discharge end of said members for producing turbulence in the fluid passing through the members and for directing said fluid in opposite directions into direct contact with the cooling medium in said 5 receptacles, a' closure at the top of said receptacle having a passage therethrough, and means a current of air through the several members of said device successively.

ARTHUR B. MODINE. 

